Now Commenting On:

Medlen's mastery nets NL Pitcher of Month Award

Medlen's mastery nets NL Pitcher of Month Award

9/3/12: Kris Medlen strikes out 12 in a fantastic complete-game effort, scattering just five hits to improve to 7-1 on the year

By Adam Berry
/
MLB.com |

Kris Medlen's remarkable run since switching from the bullpen to the rotation helped him earn National League Pitcher of the Month honors for August.

The Braves right-hander allowed only two earned runs in 35 2/3 innings in August, good for a 0.50 ERA to go along with his 4-0 record and 35 strikeouts. He's been simply masterful since making the transition back to a starting pitcher, going 6-0 with a 0.54 ERA with 50 strikeouts compared to just five walks.

Medlen, who appeared in 38 games as a reliever before his first start, has not allowed more than one run in any of his seven starts, including four performances without an earned run.

Three of his four decisions in August were scoreless, and he put up zeros for 28 1/3 consecutive innings from Aug. 11-28, the longest such streak by an Atlanta pitcher in 2012 and the longest in Braves history since Greg Maddux recorded 39 1/3 straight shutout innings from Sept. 2-28, 2000.

Among Medlen's other accomplishments in August: He posted his first career shutout on Aug. 16, giving up five hits and striking out six in a 6-0 win over the Padres. He picked up his second win in just his third start of the season on Aug. 11, allowing one run over 6 1/3 innings against the Mets.

Medlen has already seen his August success carry into September, as he beat the Rockies with a complete-game, 12-strikeout masterpiece on Monday. By doing so, he became the fifth pitcher in Braves history to strike out at least 12 batters while walking none.

This is Medlen's first monthly award, while the Braves have now had at least one Pitcher of the Month for four straight seasons dating back to 2009.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.